Sightseeing and Visitors.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday 3/4/5th September 2010
Moored at Abingdon
No Miles No Locks.

Friday.  Having spent Thursday night moored along side another boat, we were ready to shuffle around on Friday morning when most of the other moorers would be moving, luckily another 70 foot boat moved off from the very end of the free Municipal moorings and we were able to reverse No Direction straight in, the moorings here are by far the best we have found on the Thames.

Moored at the end of the Municipal moorings at Abingdon

We went into Abingdon Town at around 11.30 and just like Wallingford, the last town we moored at, were pleasantly surprised, Jayne needed to visit the Halifax Building Society, after that we had a look at some of the old buildings and the open air Italian market in the Square.

St Nicolas,s in Abingdon

County Hall Museum    it's not really leaning, that ones in Italy.

Picked up a few things from the Waitrose Supermarket on the way back to the boat, another Narrowboat moored along side in the afternoon and stayed till Saturday morning.

Lots of different craft have to share the River, the Narrowboat crews refer to the Glass Fibre Cruisers as Tupperwares and Cruiser people call us Steel Slugs. Another difference is that Narrowboaters are usually happy for other Narrowboats to moor along side for the night if all the mooring spaces are taken, Cruisers don't seem to do it, we have only seen Cruisers breasted up once whilst we have been on the river. 

Steel Slugs and Tupperwares share the moorings

Saturday.  In the morning we had a walk around Abbey gardens and the area where the Abbey once stood. After lunch I changed the Generator engine oil, cleaned the water filter and gave everything a quick check over.

As it was a sunny Saturday afternoon there were plenty of boats on the river from Rowing boats and hired Motorboats to the Salters Steamers trip boat, Goring.   A large Dutch Barge moored in front of us tonight.

No Direction in the distance dwarfed by the Dutch Barge, the locals drop the litter, not the boater

We have an unusual duck swimming around, it's very tame as it takes bread out of our hands, Beige colour with a bright red beak, Jayne has scanned the Internet without finding a positive I.D.

The Duck with the red beak, any ideas ?

Sunday.  Our Friends Pete and Val decided to visit today, so Jayne was on the Internet and found a 2 meals for £10 voucher (max 6 people) for the ASK chain of restaurant's, there happened to be one in Abingdon so she printed it off, when Pete and Val arrived we walked to the Restaurant and had a nice leisurely meal. When we got back to the moorings there was a scruffy wooded cabin cruiser and the Environment Agency River inspectors boat, the Inspector was filling out a form as the boat was un-licensed, as we have paid £130 for a 31day Thames license we were glad to see the Inspector doing his job, the £130 was a discounted price for boats visiting the I.W.A. Festival, normally it would be £171 for 31 days with a 70ft Narrrowboat.

The River Inspector on the left taking details of the Cabin Cruiser

True to form the bloke off the scruffy un-licensed boat relieves himself against the fence,the public loo,s are 50 yards away.

We are thoroughly enjoying our time on the Thames and intend to carry on to the limit of navigation at Lechlade before returning to the Canal system at Oxford, the weather forecast for tomorrow (Monday) is heavy rain and showers the rest of the week so we may stay here for another day.

We have had a trouble free trip so far, not so for everyone, read fellow blogger Halfie tale of woe.